Window sash and method for making same



Aprifi 9, 1968 L. v. JONES 3,376,670

WINDOW SASH AND METHOD FOR MAKING SAME Filed Aug. 51, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Leslie 1/. @1265 Aprifl 9, 1968 L. v. JONES WINDOW SASH AND METHOD FOR MAKING SAME 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 31, 1966 Eye I INVENTOR. 65156 cranes BY States atent 3,3?,67 Patented Apr. 9, 1968 ice 3,376,670 WINDOW SASH AND METHOD FOR MAKING SAME Leslie V. Jones, Aurora, Ontario, Canada, asslgnor to Excel Corporation, Elkhart, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Filed Aug. 31, 1966, Ser. No. 576,360 6 Claims. (Cl. 49-501) This invention relates to a sash for a sliding window construction and the method of making same, and more particularly to a sliding window sash construction having a folded mitered frame structure and including corner bracket structure provided in the frame for joining and reinforcing the frame elements and for mounting locks on the sash' Sliding windows such as presently referred to are of the type used in buses and like vehicles. Such windows may have two Separate sash members, one of which is slidable to an open position to permit ventilation of the interior of the vehicle, this being termed a split sash construction. Alternately, such windows may have a single sash member which is slidable in the window frame, this being termed a full drop sash construction. The present invention is illustratively disclosed as applied to a split sash construction, however, it is equally applicable to a full drop sash construction.

The present invention provides a method for manufacturing such sashes which employs a folded mitered corner construction for the sash frame which results in an efiicient manufacturing technique and a relatively strong corner. Additionally, bracket means are provided for the corners of the sash frame for mounting of window locks and for reinforcing the corners to thereby permit the frame to be fabricated from a relatively soft metal such as aluminum.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved sliding window sash construction and method of making same for buses and like vehicles.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved sash structure which may incorporate aluminum or other soft metal structural components.

Another object of the invention is to provide a corner bracket structure for the window sash which will permit the mounting of window locks on the sash by the use of self-threading screws.

A still further object of the invention is to provide such a corner bracket construction which will serve to reinforce and join the corners of the sash frame.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a folded mitered corner construction for the sash frame which results in a relatively sturdy corner construction and an efiicient manufacturing process.

Other objects of this invention will appear in the following description and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a slidable window sash forming one embodiment of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an end elevational View of the sash of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a view in perspective of a channel mem ber prior to bending to form the frame for the sash of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a front elevational view of a sash formed from the channel of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 5-5 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 6-6 of FIGURE 2.

Before explaining the present invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

Referring to FIGURE 1, a generally rectangular sash 10 is illustrated. The sash 10 comprises spaced apart parallel left and right stiles 12, 14 joined together at their upper ends by a top rail 16 and at their lower ends by a bottom rail 18. The cross-sectional contour of the stiles and rails is fundamentally a channel section. The contour of the stiles and top rail is illustrated in FIGURE 3. As there shown, the channel section comprises spaced apart side walls 20, 22 joined together by a web 24. The stiles and top rail are provided with an outwardly projecting tongue 25 formed from the material of the web to slidingly engage, respectively, openings in the jamb and header of a window frame.

Referring again to FIGURE 1, it will be noted that a lock 26, 28 is provided in each upper corner of the sash 10 on the interior surface or face thereof. The locks function to cooperate with lock racks provided in the window jambs to permit positioning of the sash at the desired position. The sash is fixed in the desired position by engagement of the lock catches with projections provided on the lock rack.

As shown in FIGURES 3, 5, and 6, an inwardly projecting longitudinally extending rib 30, 32 is provided on the interior face of each of the side walls 20, 22 intermediate the web 24 and edges of the walls. The ribs 36, 32 serve as a locking structure for corner brackets as will e described. A continuous channel-shaped Weatherstrip 34 is received in the stiles and top rail. A glass pane 36 is received in the Weatherstrip 34.

Referring again to FIGURE 3, it will be noted that the metallic channel member 38 is formed with two pairs of spaced apart opposing notches 40, 42, 44, 46 in the side walls 20, 22. The notches delineate the left and right stiles 12, 14 and interconnecting top rail 16 of the sash frame.

Each notch is defined by a pair of side edges 48, 50 which extend from the outer edges of the side walls 20, 22 and converge toward the tongue 25. The side edges 48, 5d meet at 52 to define a V-shape. Termination of the edges 48, 50 short of the outer portion of the tongue 25 results in leaving a portion 54 of the tongue side walls between the notch and the outer surface of tongue 25. The edges 48, 50 of the notches are each directed at an angle of with respect to the plane of the web 24 as is conventional in forming a right-angle comer.

The channel member 38 is bent along the notches 40, 42, 44, 46 to form the sash frame member 56 illustrated in FIGURE 4. When the channel is bent as shown, the notches take the form of slits and the material 54 at the corners serves to reinforce the corners resulting in a sound, strong corner construction. The conventional technique for forming a folded mitered corner employs a V-shaped notch which terminates at the web which interconnects the legs. Such a construction results in a corner which is relatively weak because of the high stress placed on the channel web at the point of bending. Frequently, a crack develops along this line resulting in eventual failure of the sash frame at the corner.

The channel member 38 is bent around a sub-assembly comprising the glass 36 having mounted thereon the Weatherstrip 34, a bottom Weatherstrip 80 and the bottom rail 18. The top brackets 66 and bottom brackets 82 are mounted in place on the channel 38 before the channel is bent.

It is to be noted that a pair of openings 58, 60 and 62, 64 are provided in the side Wall 20 adjacent each corner. As illustrated in FIGURE 6, an L-shaped bracket 66 having mating openings is inserted into each corner. A portion of the ribs 30, 32 adjacent each corner on the stiles 12, 14 is eliminated in order to permit insertion of the brackets 66 and bending of the channel 38 into the shape of FIG- URE 4 with the brackets already inserted. The locks 26, 28 may then be mounted by means of self-threading screws which pass through the openings in the lock flanges and channel into engagement with the openings in the brackets 66.

The bottom rail is entirely separate from the stiles and top rail because the bottom rail must have a different cross-sectional configuration than the other sash frame members. As will be noted in FIGURES 2 and 5, the principle differences between the bottom rail 18 and the other sash frame members is that the bottom rail does not have a tongue and that longitudinally extending grooves 68, 70 are provided in the side walls of the bottom rail adjacent the bottom thereof. The bottom rail does not have a tongue because it is not needed and would be visually objectionable, the entire bottom rail being visable in most positions of the sash. One of the grooves 70 is utilized to receive and retain a longitudinally extending flexible seal 72 having a cylindrical body portion 74 received in the groove and a lip portion 76 extending outwardly therefrom to contact the surface of a fixed sash to always seal the space between the two sashes against the ingress of moisture and weather.

The bottom rail 18 has a pair of inwardly projecting longitudinally extending ribs 78 which serve as locking structure for brackets 82 in the same manner as the similar elements serve in the stiles and top rail.

The bottomrail is attached to the lower ends of the stiles 12, 14 by means of the pair of L-shaped brackets 82. After the Weatherstrip 80 has been inserted onto the bottom edge of the glass pane 36, the bottom rail 18 is inserted thereover. A pair of openings are provided in the vertical leg 84 of the bracket 82 to receive two selfthreading screws 86, 88 which pass therethrough into threading engagement with the interior surfaces of the tongues of the stiles. This is accomplished before the channel is bent around the sub-assembly. The horizontal leg .92 of the bracket 82 is inserted into the bottom rail 18 during bending of the channel. A third screw 90 is received through an opening in the underside of the bottom rail 18 into threading engagement with an opening in the horizontal leg 92 of the bracket 82 to firmly attach the bottom rail 18 and complete the sash assembly.

It will be appreciated from the construction thus described that the assembly of the entire unit requires manipulating only a few component parts and thus may be accomplished easily and at low expense. Additionally, the resultant sash assembly is provided with reinforcing and attaching brackets at each corner thereof to result in an overall sash which is sturdy and durable.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A window sash comprising a pair of spaced apart parallel stiles joined together at one end by a first rail which is integral therewith, said stiles and first rail being channel sections comprising spaced apart walls joined together by a web, the juncture of each stile with the first rail defining a corner construction in which the channel web forms the outer corner surface and the channel side bracket, threaded fastening means extending through each lock opening means into threaded engagement with the opening means of one corner bracket to thereby secure each lock to the sash and reinforce the junctures of the stiles and first rail, a separate second rail having a channel section joining the stiles at the other ends thereof, a

corner bracket provided at the juncture of each stile with the second rail, threaded fastening means securing said stiles, second rail and corner brackets together, said stiles and rails defining a frame, and a window pane received in said frame.

2. A window sash comprising a pair of spaced apart parallel stiles joined together at one end by a first rail which is integral therewith, said stiles and first rail being channel sections comprising spaced apart side walls joined together by a web, each of said stiles and first rail having a hollow outwardly projecting tongue on the web extending longitudinally thereof, a corner bracket provided at the juncture of each stile with the first rail, each of said brackets having a first leg received in a stile and a second leg received in the first rail, said bracket legs, stiles and first rail having registering opening means, a pair of locks each having structure with opening means in registry with the opening means of one corner bracket, threaded fastening means extending through each lock opening means into threaded engagement with the opening means of one corner bracket to thereby secure each lock to the sash and reinforce the junctures of the stiles and first rail, a separate second rail having a channel section joining the stiles at the other ends thereof, a corner bracket provided at the juncture of each stile with the second rail, threaded fastening means securing said stiles, second rail and corner brackets together, said stiles and rails defining a frame, and a window pane received in said frame.

3. A window sash as claimed in claim 2 and further characterized in that, in the corner construction defined by the juncture of the first rail with each stile, the channel web forms the outer corner surface and the channel side walls extend inwardly therefrom, the channel side walls having a slit therein at the corner extending from the inner edge thereof towards the web and terminating at a point short of the outer portions of the tongue.

4. A window sash as claimed in claim 2 and further characterized in the provision of longitudinally extending rib means on the inner surface of each side wall of the stiles and rails intermediate the web and outer edges thereof, said rib means within one of said stiles and top.

rail terminating short of the juncture of said stiles and top rail to permit insertion of the corner brackets.

5. The method of forming a window sash comprising the steps of forming two pairs of spaced apart oppositely disposed notches in the outer portion of the side walls pane assembly to form a pair of spaced apart parallel stiles joined together at one end by a top rail, simultaneously inserting said outwardly extending bottom bracket legs into the bottom rail as the channel is bent, and then fastening the top and bottom brackets firmly to the respect tive stile and rail members.

5 6 6. The method as defined in claim 5 and further charthe deleted portion of the rib means into the channel duracterizecl in the provision of longitudinally extending rib ing the bending step.

means on the inner surface of said channel member, delet- References Cited ing said I'll) means ad acent each notch on the portion of the channel defining the stiles, securing the top corner 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS bracket in the channel adjacent each notch on the portion 2,219,593 10/1940 Lang 7 49-504 XR of the channel defining the top rail with one leg of each 'gi s top bracket extending outwardly of the channel, fitting 3174194 3/1965 Ward 49450 XR the outwardly extending leg of each top bracket over 10 3:240:298 3/1966 T: 52 658 the windowpane assembly before bending the channel, and inserting the extending legs or each top bracket past KENNETH DOWNEY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A WINDOW SASH COMPRISING A PAIR OF SPACED APART PARALLEL STILES JOINED TOGETHER AT ONE END BY A FIRST RAIL WHICH IS INTEGRAL THEREWITH, SAID STILES AND FIRST RAIL BEING CHANNEL SECTIONS COMPRISING SPACED APART WALLS JOINED TOGETHER BY A WEB, THE JUNCTURE OF EACH STILE WITH THE FIRST RAIL DEFINING A CORNER CONSTRUCTION IN WHICH THE CHANNEL WEB FORMS THE OUTER CORNER SURFACE AND THE CHANNEL SIDE WALLS EXTEND INWARDLY THEREFROM, THE CHANNEL SIDE WALLS OF EACH CORNER CONSTRUCTION HAVING A SLIT THEREIN EXTENDING FROM THE INNER EDGE THEREOF TOWARDS THE WEB AND TERMINATING AT A POINT SHORT OF THE WEB, A CORNER BRACKET PROVIDED AT THE JUNCTURE OF EACH STILE WITH THE FIRST RAIL, SAID BRACKET, STILES AND FIRST RAIL HAVING REGISTERING OPENING MEANS, A PAIR OF LOCKS EACH HAVING STRUCTURE WITH OPENING MEANS IN REGISTRY WITH THE OPENING MEANS OF ONE CORNER BRACKET, THREADED FASTENING MEANS EXTENDING THROUGH EACH LOCK OPENING MEANS INTO THREADED ENGAGEMENT WITH THE OPENING MEANS OF ONE CORNER BRACKET TO THEREBY SECURE EACH LOCK TO THE SASH AND REINFORCE THE JUNCTURES OF THE STILES AND FIRST RAIL, A SEPARATE SECOND RAIL HAVING A CHANNEL SECTION JOINING THE STILES AT THE OTHER ENDS THEREOF, A CORNER BRACKET PROVIDED AT THE JUNCTURE OF EACH STILE WITH THE SECOND RAIL, THREADED FASTENING MEANS SECURING SAID STILES, SECOND RAIL AND CORNER BRACKETS TOGETHER, SAID STILES AND RAILS DEFINING A FRAME, AND A WINDOW PANE RECEIVED IN SAID FRAME. 